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Drum Corps 2014 - The State of the Activity


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Perhaps.

Another question is.... what are the numbers the last 20 years or so of the marchers that have aged out in DCI Drum Corps that stay involved in the activity as a fan by attending the shows in the coming years ? We know that former members of te Ballet, Symphony Orchestras, etc tend to stay as fans of these enterprises once they leave at retirement. They go to the shows as fans. We know that a goodly percentage of ( for example ) Bantam Youth Hockey players, Pop Warner football players, and high School baseball players when their youth hockey and youth baseball and youth football days are over continue to go to the Amateur or Pro hockey, baseball, and football games when their playing days are over. So what about the current 23- 43 year olders that marched in DCI ? Are they still going out to the shows now as fans in good to great numbers do you believe ? If you think not, then why do you believe that they arn't, and what do we need to do to get them back ?

imo..and I know you didnt ask me but the other poster..so ignore my answer if you choose...BUT IMO there are less coming back after marching Because people are less invested rigt from the get go.. BITD corps retained members for many many years and beyond. Today the average kid who marches maybe marches 2 or 3 years ( a few more ). When you invest your entire youth in something makes it a very different story. Also I believe its the reasons all other types of Youth groups find the same thing happening. We didnt have alot of choice bitd like kids today do and we were all very local...makes a HUGE DIFFERENCE.

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I am looking forward to seeing these "dozens of BRAND NEW corps" at quarter-finals next August.

Well, the fact that they've already gotten 8 or 10 groups committed to SoundSport certainly isn't a bad thing. Some of those groups will blow up before they can ever compete. Some will do a contest or two a year and never really go anywhere. Some will grow but stay in SoundSport. Others will grow and move into Open Class or DCA. I'd expect no more than one new self-sufficient DCI or DCA corps for every 10-20 SoundSport teams after five years or so, but that's not an unreasonable ratio I don't think. The challenge is getting a couple hundred SoundSport teams up and running, enough to provide good competition and DCI events and SoundSport-only shows around the country. This is a great start. The only way to replace folding corps is to start new ones. Jumping straight into Open Class is a huge undertaking. If SoundSport smooths the way, I'm all for it.

Edited by skywhopper
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imo..and I know you didnt ask me but the other poster..so ignore my answer if you choose...BUT IMO there are less coming back after marching Because people are less invested rigt from the get go.. BITD corps retained members for many many years and beyond. Today the average kid who marches maybe marches 2 or 3 years ( a few more ). When you invest your entire youth in something makes it a very different story. Also I believe its the reasons all other types of Youth groups find the same thing happening. We didnt have alot of choice bitd like kids today do and we were all very local...makes a HUGE DIFFERENCE.

I do agree with your observation and assessment here.

So as costs continue to escalate for the operation of Corps, and age outs are not supporting the activity as fans in decent numbers, and the alums from long ago are dying out, where do we envision the audience growth to come from in future years ? Or is the activity on a future course to oblivion as insufficient fans will be available to sustain these Corps financially and the shows that they are producing ?

Edited by BRASSO
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Dan, please don't make me watch all those videos to get a point you're making. I don't enjoy them, and I don't want to watch.

I do, though, enjoy your thoughts (usually).

Please use more words.

I think Dan needs a week or two off. :tongue:

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I do agree with your observation and assessment here.

So as costs continue to escalate for the operation of Corps, and age outs are not supporting the activity as fans in decent numbers, and the alums from long ago are dying out, where do we envision the audience growth to come from in future years ? Or is the activity on a future course to oblivion as insufficient fans will be available to sustain these Corps financially and the shows that they are producing ?

and thats the million dollar question.................................funny just this past weekend I was having a conversation with someone about cost and YES it was so cheap compared to todays members but actually for what a members gets is still realtively cheap...where can a kid live and eat and get instruction for 3 months..this friend was telling me how it was many thousands just to send his kid to camp which didnt include everything either and dance schools and the cost of all thats invovled in that.....guess its all realtive....he also said...which made sense...drum corps was a poor mans activity BITD but isnt now or can be even if it went back to less touring.

As far as shows..cost barley IMO has anything to do with it...just a rehearsal facility can kill a corps today where bitd church basements were sufficant...non exsistant today...take a corps just to the next state and the cost is un believeable....just winter programs cost alot to move them around or rehearsal facitlties. different time and world for sure.

I think many directors have asked that same question you did that are we destined to be extinct and are thinking where it should all go to survive although many would not agree with what they may think is the right thing to do so that some sort of the activity survives. Is it the right answer? will people like it? Time will tell on that 1st part...probably not on the 2nd.

Edited by GUARDLING
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:rolleyes:/> Way to delude the achievement... "From humble beginnings... and what not... and so forth..."

Maybe I am missing something, but looking at dci.org, the only new unit I see is a soundport group from the Los Angeles area. That is about 11 short of a dozen, let alone dozens. Can you post a link for those of us too inept to find them on our own?

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Maybe I am missing something, but looking at dci.org, the only new unit I see is a soundport group from the Los Angeles area. That is about 11 short of a dozen, let alone dozens. Can you post a link for those of us too inept to find them on our own?

The Guardians Drum & Bugle Corps - TX

Resistance Drum & Bugle Corps - AR

Impact of Orlando Drum and Bugle Corps - FL

The Rocketeers Drum & Bugle Corps - AL

Southwind Drum & Bugle Corps - AL

Mon Valley Express Drum and Bugle Corps - PA

City Sound Drum & Bugle Corps - CA

Watchmen Brass and Percussion - CA

Railmen Drum and Bugle Corps Inc - NE

Prairie Sound All Ages Drum and Bugle Corps - KS/MO

Tropical Brass Theater - FL

Sound Sport ATL

They also mentioned a group in China...

DCI says that they will have an updated website with a master list of all participating groups but these are the few that DCI facebook page posted about the the past couple days. but that's a dozen right there!

Edited by charlie1223
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I have a general question for my drum corps forefathers here. Back in the 70's how many "general audience members" had no prior drum corps experience?

I don't know the answer to your question, but I was one (a general audience member with no prior corps experience).

How many were just going to a show that they saw a flyer about and wanted to do something different that they have never done?

I don't know the answer to your question, but I was one.

Could the possible smaller attendances be because there are less drum corps alumni aging out every year from those corps that folded? Or is it really the show designs driving people away?

I don't know the answer to your question(s), but the show designs have driven me away (from DCI, at least).

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I think we can leave out whether Hop is good or bad, whether unis are homogenous or not...lets not pick it apart. The bottom line is that shows should be about the fans.....that is if you want the activity to survive and thrive in the future.

The DCI triad: members, fans and the design community.

The members will come to experience the excellence and tradition of corps and to perform. They are young and will come, and they will perform what the staff gives them. The don't get jaded until they are old like most of us.

The fans will come because they love corps. They would come in droves if the shows had broad general appeal. There would be new fans if the show had broad general appeal.

The design community. Let's lump design, judging, admins and activity movers and shakers into one big group. They are responsible for our shows and what we see. I really think they have become self serving clubs to a large extent. The have lost track of what puts butts in seats and they don't care or don't know. They might even think they know better than "Joe Drumcorps", or they don't care about him. It is my personal opinion that they have bored themselves to death with corps and are searching for the next best thing and to push the activity "forward".

The members will come, the design community is entrenched.....so that leaves the fan hanging out to dry.

excellent summation

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